- How can you contact Dome?
-
800-423-5767 (telephone)
818-344-3404 (telephone)
818-344-3469 (fax)
info@domeortho.com
Dome, Inc.
18668 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
- Why purchase Dome equipment?
-
For more than 30 years, Dome has had an excellent reputation for customer service and for building durable, high quality orthodontic equipment. If you look carefully at the workmanship and the attention to detail on Dome chairs and delivery units, you will appreciate how important quality is to everyone who works at Dome.
- What is the warranty on Dome equipment?
-
The Dome Innovation Chair has a one year labor warranty and a five year parts warranty. The Dome delivery units have a one year parts and labor warranty. If a repair is necessary, please call Dome first for the parts, diagrams and instructions before calling a service technician.
- How durable is a patient chair made with plastic and steel?
-
Cross-linked polyethylene plastic has some definite advantages
over other materials. There are a number of
reasons why Dome has sold so many chairs over the last 20 years and still
has so many happy customers. The
plastic used to make the exterior frame of a Dome Innovation Chair is durable
and chemically resistant. The
Dome Chair is relatively inexpensive to make because polyethylene plastic
can be rotationally molded into a complex curved shape. The
result is a comfortable, functional and beautiful orthodontic treatment
chair. Since
the shape of the chair is contoured to fit the patient, the chair is comfortable
even without the upholstery. This allows the upholstery to be
thin cushions which are easily reversible and also relatively inexpensive
to replace. It is not surprising that the Dome Innovation Chair
has proved to be durable over time. Many products that are
made for heavy duty applications are made from cross-linked polyethylene
plastic: white water kayaks, sit-on-top ocean kayaks, shipping
containers and even 2,500 gallon water tanks. The Dome Innovation
Chair does not depend entirely on its external polyethylene frame. There
is also an internal steel frame inside and large aluminum inserts
where chair back connects to the seat.
If the chair frame is damaged by something sharp, the surface can be easily repaired. Just lightly sand and
polish the damaged area. The chair frame is the same color all of the way through.
- Do the Dome Innovation Chairs and Bases have an Underwriters Laboratory Listing?
-
The Dome Innovation Chairs and Bases are listed with Underwriters Laboratory. These products have been evaluated
and have the following manufacturing and safety certifications: UL, CUL and CE.
- How long does it take to receive equipment from the date the order is placed?
-
The normal production time is five to six weeks for Dome Innovation Chairs, six to seven weeks for delivery units and
three weeks for stools or replacement chair upholstery sets. The normal shipping time is two days to one week in
the continental United States and one to two weeks to Canada. The normal shipping time by air freight outside of
North America is one week.
Rush orders are possible sometimes, depending on the current status of the production schedule.
- Where is Dome operatory equipment on display?
-
Dome has equipment on display at the AAO Meeting in May and at a number of the regional orthodontic association
meetings in the fall. Dome also has a showroom in Los Angeles that is open by appointment. If you would
like a list of orthodontists in your area who have purchased Dome equipment, please call.
- Are Dome chairs available with programmable controls?
-
Although all Dome chairs have automatic return, they are not programmable. There was a time sixteen years ago
when Dome sold chairs with programmable controls, but there were several instances when assistants accidentally crushed
headrests and stool seats. Considering the possible liability and the number of lawyers in North America, we have
chosen not to offer programmable controls. It probably will not take any extra time to lower the chair back if you
are talking to the patient for the seven seconds while the chair is going to the full 'down' position. All Dome
Innovation Chairs have automatic return for the chair back.
- Where are Dome chairs and delivery units made?
-
Dome manufactures chairs and delivery units in Southern California. Tarzana is in the northwestern part of the
City of Los Angeles.
- Who pays for shipping?
-
Shipping is not included in the price of Dome equipment. Dome has good discounts with a number of shipping
companies. We always call around to find the best price before sending out a shipment. Dome does not charge
for handling. If you are thinking about purchasing equipment from Dome, please call for a shipping quote.
- Who installs Dome equipment?
-
Installation is usually made by a local dental repair and supply company. The company that is supplying your vacuum
system, compressor or X-ray will probably install your Dome operatory equipment for an hourly rate. If you would like
the name of an installer to hire, a list of orthodontists in your area who have purchased Dome equipment can be provided.
If you know any of the doctors on the list, you could ask them which installer they would recommend.
Dome equipment has been designed so that it can be installed easily. Anyone who is good with tools should be able to
install Dome equipment with the instructions, diagrams and telephone support provided.
- Who designs orthodontic offices?
-
There are a number of companies that specialize in the design of orthodontic offices. Please call Dome to request a list.
- Will Dome help design an orthodontic office?
-
After your space designer has completed the preliminary plan, Dome does not charge to critique an office design or to spot
the patient chairs in the operatory.
Full size templates of the chairs and delivery units are available by request. If the templates are placed on the
floor in the operatory or in an equivalent size space, it should be easy to determine if the space between the chairs is
correct. The location of plumbing and electrical connections can also be easily marked from the position of the templates
on the floor.
- Are plumbing and electrical specifications sheets available?
-
Please call Dome for the necessary plumbing and electrical specification sheets. Full size templates of the chairs and
the delivery units are also available to help spot the location of the junction box connections in the floor. We are
always happy to talk to architects or contractors if they have any questions.
- Is a junction box included with Dome equipment?
-
Junction boxes are sold separately.
- What type of junction box should be installed?
-
Depending on the floor in the office, different junction boxes are typically installed. Please call Dome for the
diagrams and specifications to be sure that you have the correct installation information.
If the office has a suspended concrete floor with another office or basement below, the fire codes usually specify that
an above floor junction box should be installed. If there is a delivery unit that has wheels, the junction box is
usually placed under the patient chair, under the patient's feet, out of the traffic lane. If there is a delivery
unit that is bolted to the floor, the delivery unit usually functions as the junction box with the plumbing connections inside.
If the office has a concrete slab floor (over dirt), you might want to consider a recessed junction box instead of an
above floor junction box. If there is a delivery unit that is bolted to the floor, the delivery unit usually functions
as the junction box with the plumbing connections inside and the pipes above the floor.
If there is an office with a wood floor and a basement or crawl space below, a junction box enclosure is usually not
needed. The utility pipes usually end below the floor, near the patient's feet when they are sitting in the treatment
chair. If there is a crawl space below the floor, a 12" x 12" access panel is usually cut in the floor to allow easy
access. If there is a delivery unit that is bolted to the floor, the delivery unit usually functions as the junction
box with the plumbing connections inside and the pipes above the floor.
- Should a delivery unit have a self-contained clean water bottle system?
-
If you are building a new office and the local building codes require an anti-siphon valve (vacuum water breaker valve)
for your water lines, you should probably purchase a water bottle system for each delivery unit. Since the additional
plumbing costs are so high if the anti-siphon valves are required, water bottle systems are usually purchased instead.
In a typical orthodontic office, the water bottle is refilled once or twice a week. Please check with your plumbing
contractor to determine if anti-siphon water valves will be required. At this time, most building departments do not
require anti-siphon valves.
If you are concerned about bio-film in your water lines and would like to flush out the lines periodically, a water bottle
system is ideal. A disinfectant solution can be placed in the bottle and then the lines can be easily flushed and then
air-dried.
- Can both the high and low speed air handpieces use the same hose?
-
A large number of orthodontists use the same hose for both the low speed air handpiece and the high speed air handpiece,
but they have to be careful. The high speed air handpiece has a smaller turbine and its maximum pressure is typically
10 pounds less that the low speed air handpiece. If the high speed handpiece has too much pressure, the bearings will
wear out quickly. If you listen carefully to the noise pitch of the high speed air handpiece and do not apply full
pressure to the footswitch, the high speed can be adjusted to run at the correct pressure. If you would prefer to have
two air handpiece hoses at different maximum pressures, instead of a single hose at one pressure, the additional cost will be
approximately $115.00.
- Are solid surface tops available on Dome delivery units?
-
If you would prefer to have a solid surface top, please call for a price quote. The extra cost is calculated by
determining the number of sheets of solid surface material that are needed. A sheet typically costs between $600.00
and $800.00. If you order five delivery units, the cost may only be $100.00 per unit, but if you order just one delivery
unit, the extra cost would be at least $600.00. If six delivery units require two sheets, the cost may be $200.00 per unit.
If the other countertops in the office are also going to be the solid surface material, you might want to have your cabinet
contractor make the countertops for the Dome units too. Instead of Dome purchasing a full sheet of solid surface material
and having scrap left over, it might be less expensive to have the cabinet contractor use the smaller scraps left over from
the other larger countertops. Dome can send the contractor a full size template of the countertop to be sure that it will
be made the correct size.
If you are considering the solid surface material because you are concerned about bleach marks from phosphoric etching acid,
Wilsonart Chemsurf® chemical resistant laminate may be an inexpensive alternative.
- What is the additional cost for a delivery unit made with a custom laminate?
-
The additional cost for Dome delivery unit with a special laminate is determined by subtracting the wholesale cost of standard
Wilsonart® laminate from Dome's cost for the special laminate. The difference between the two prices is the additional
amount that is charged.
- What is the additional cost for a Dome Chair made with a custom vinyl?
-
The additional cost for Dome Chair with a special vinyl or chair upholstery material is determined by subtracting the wholesale
cost of standard Boltaflex™ vinyl from Dome's cost for the special vinyl. The difference between the two prices is the
additional amount that is charged.